My Journey through Breast Cancer

On October 11, 2013, I was diagnosed with Stage II Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) ... or as we like to call it, extreme measures for a nap (EMFN). For a while, this blog will be my cancer journal. Enter at your own risk.

23 October 2008

Yep, I have big news. If you haven't already heard, you're probably among those who've been wondering just when you'd hear. Well, here it is: Baby Weston #1 is on the way! Baby is set to arrive around June 8, 2009, at which time our lives will be turned upside down and sideways (all for the better, if I believe all the moms I know). I keep getting a couple questions from people, so I'll answer them here.

"Are you excited?" I like to answer this question with a quotation from Armageddon, that beacon of wisdom starring Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck. There's a scene in there where Owen Wilson is ready to take off in the spaceship and he's asked how he's feeling, and he says "I'm, like, 98% excited and 2% scared. Or maybe its 2% excited and 98% scared." That's how I feel.

I'm not worried about pregnancy, I'm worried about the small helpless alien that will be left fully in my care about 8 months from now. Its a good thing I have some time to prepare, though right now I'm thinking I'd be OK with an elephant's gestational period of about 2 years. Two years would be enough time to prepare I think.

"How do you feel?" I feel pretty good, except for a few nagging first-trimester symptoms (or side effects, as I prefer to call them). I'm tired a lot. My understanding and patient husband has been wonderful letting me sleep in every morning as he walks the dog, take naps in the afternoon while ... he walks the dog. And my lunch time naps are a little more necessary than they used to be.

I'm hungry a lot. I can't eat a lot in one sitting, but I have to eat every two hours. If I don't, nausea starts setting in, which is an awful feeling. I'm quite thankful I don't have traditional morning sickness, as many of my friends have had. I haven't thrown up once and I'm able to be at work on time every day (well, I WOULD be on time if it weren't for the tiredness that makes it so hard to get out of bed). I've just learned its good to have saltines with me wherever I go.

Speaking of food, I'm not really craving much. But there are a few things I haven't really wanted ... like coffee (WEIRD) and too much sweet stuff (WEIRDER). I baked a double batch of chocolate chip cookies last week and never even taste tested a single one. Pregnancy is a strange strange world.

I have a couple of the more obscure side effects that I find interesting. Every afternoon, like clockwork, I get this weird metal taste in my mouth. There's not much I can do but wait for it to go away, which usually happens by dinner time. I also have a stuffy nose. At first I thought I had a cold, and even stayed home from work on Monday this week to try and kick it quickly. But it never spread beyond the stuffy nose, and I still have it several days later. I've since learned this is not only a normal pregnancy symptom, but even has a name ... rhinitis something (I'll look it up later). It can last all 9 months of pregnancy. Good nose-blowing fun.

I had my first doctor's appointment yesterday, and he says everything is good and healthy. He says I can do whatever I feel like doing, except snow skiing and water skiing. "Right," I say. And I can eat anything but fish that are at the top of the food chain. "But I was going to have Great White shark for dinner!" I really like my doctor, which is an awesome blessing. He started yesterday's appointment by sitting down and just chatting with me about pregnancy, what to expect and what not to eat or do. It was great.

The one entertaining part of yesterday's doctor's appointment was getting my blood drawn by the trainee. Oh yes, trainee. She actually did a fine job, but her constant questioning of her supervisor about whether or not she was doing it right didn't exactly put me at ease. At least all ended well.

I'm about 7 1/2 weeks along, so this is all still really new. And honestly, it hasn't totally sunk in. I think I'll feel freer to really start planning and preparing once I'm past the first trimester, the most tenuous part of pregnancy. That will be around Thanksgiving. My biggest dilemma right now is what to do with a little spending money I have ... I want clothes, but why buy something that won't fit me in a couple months? I don't know what to do, and don't even feel much like shopping (again, WEIRD).

So, Caleb and I are about to be parents ... whether or not we're ready or in any way prepared. Go us!

8 comments:

Robin Reed
said...

That's wonderful news! And yes, it is amazing how by the time your baby arrives there will be NO part of your body that has not been affected in some way :). I can totally relate to the excited/scared thing. When I found out I was expecting Megan it was more like 99.5% sheer terror. Thankfully that passed after a few weeks and the excitement took over :)

At about 38 wks you will NOT be so keen on the elephant's gestational period. There may even be moments when you think yelling "get out!" will work. ;)

I think the aversions are way weirder than the cravings. There was a period that I didnt like chocolate (!!), cheese, meat, all things I normally love. Those eventually went away. On the other side, cravings, I suddenly wanted fish - that i previously hated, and I still like fish now. Odd things that these "aliens" do to us.

Congrats again! BTW, I have a couple of those 'what to expect' books. You're welcome to have them if you don't have them already.

Congratulations! I'm not sure if it's more terrifying when you find out...or that day they let you go home from a hospital with a baby. Weird...but they think you're all responsible an stuff at the hospital. =0) You'll be terrific.

Thanks for the update. Now you see why God gives 9 months to prepare. It's definitely what you need and I agree with the previous comment that by 9 months you don't even want to think how long an elephant is pregnant for. Or how big an elephant is at birth (YIKES!) I also had sugar aversions (chocolate...cookies...cake...anything sugary left a horrible taste in my mouth), so I stayed away and constantly brushed my teeth. I didn't have the gag reflux problem from brushing that most have during pregnancy though. My dentist was amazed that my teeth and gums were healthier during pregnancy...aka all the brushing. Usually they are worse, one more great pregnancy side effect is bleeding and sensitive gums. Isn't pregnancy great?!?!?! (ha,ha) Well worth it in the end, don't you worry! I gave Debbie Hupp a bunch of maternity clothes and you are more then welcome to any of them. I think she lent them to another friend who should have had her baby by now. I'll send a note to her so if there is any they are yours. Tammy

Okay, I had the same aversion to coffee and sweets. In fact, I didn't get my sweet tooth back until a few weeks ago (around week 35) and it still isn't what it used to be. I guess that's a good thing, right? I'm so excited for you guys and you're in my prayers. The first trimester goes by slow, but after that it starts picking up.

Yeahhhhhhh!!!! Congratulations you guys! I've been wondering when you would make an announcement like this! =0)I totally relate to your "symptoms" they sound pretty similar to what mine were. Can't wait to hear more as the months move along. =0)

Heidi Joanne Weston

I am the wife of one hunky man, the super mom of three adorable little girls, and master of two dogs and a fish named Nemo. Life is crazy, exhausting and often Lord-of-the-Flies-ish ... but life is good!

the short version

I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer on October 11, 2013, at the age of 38. I had a bi-lateral, or double mastectomy on November 7. I began chemo in early December, which will last until mid-April. Final reconstructive surgery should happen some time early in the summer of 2014. I will then go on living happily ever after.

Help Care for my Family!

Interested in helping out while I go through treatment? We have a Care Calendar set up with a list of needs for the current month.

CALENDAR ID : 163750
SECURITY CODE : 4849

His Hunkyness w Josephine

This is hubby. Isn't he hunky? He is the reason I climb mountains, love baseball and the animated Star Wars series, and have learned to relax about the little things. Without him life would truly be dull (and sadly devoid of video game lessons).